BISM7221 Information Systems Governance and Assurance
Report – Business Consulting Report (IS Recommendations)
Assessment Guideline
SEMESTER 1 2025
Purpose
This document identifies the requirements for this assessment and a marking rubric to provide guidance in undertaking this assessment.
Details:
Type: Report
Due Date: 3:00pm 11th June 2025
Weight: 50%
In Brief: One Business Consulting Report with recommendations to inform the Company's Board and Management regarding IT Governance, Fraud assessment, and assessment of Internal Controls and Operations to improve business performance.
Task Description
This is an individual assignment.
Students will use their understanding from the course of IT governance, fraud detection, and internal controls to prepare a Business Consulting Report with recommendations that improve business performance.
This report is derived from a case organisation described in the Assignment Specification.
The Business Consulting Report will require analytical skills to assess the case organisation's portfolio of IT governance mechanisms, consider the potential for fraud arising from weaknesses in the internal control mechanisms, document any findings of fraud, and how to improve organisational performance through recommendations that strengthen the internal controls environment.
The report will document the project rationale and approach, findings, and key recommendations for IT governance, fraud prevention, and the IT general controls environment.
The report is a cohesive document that can be communicated to the (fictional) client.
The results are communicated as a Business Consulting Report of 8 to 12 pages in length (excluding appendices).
Students are to use SQL data analytic techniques discussed in tutorials for fraud detection work and use Excel data visualisations to highlight their findings in the report.
These visualisations should be to a high standard.
Software Required:
• PostgreSQL is available as open source software for installation on your own computer
• PostgreSQL is not installed on the University's computer laboratories
• Excel is available as part of the Office 365 package available to students free-of-charge for installation on their own computer
Key to success in this assessment is a professional Business Consulting Report that demonstrates completeness, attention to detail, insightful analysis, and clear communication.
AI Statement:
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Further information regarding this assessment is provided in the Assessment Guideline.
Criteria and Marking
The grading rubric allocates marks to six dimensions:
• IT Governance assessment and recommendations (10%)
• Assessment of Internal Controls and Recommendations (20%)
• Fraud assessment, detection, conclusions, and recommendations (20%)
• Assessment of Operational Performance and Recommendations (20%),
• Design and Performance of SQL Tests (20%),
• Presentation and Communication (10%).
A full and complete Business Consulting Report (between 8 and 12 pages in length excluding title pages and appendices) is to be submitted.
Requirements
Use of Artificial Intelligence
In this Assessment Guideline it is noted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
The University of Queensland has specific rules for the use of artificial intelligence – refer to the web page ‘UQ’s rules for using AI’for.
The current UQ rules on AI use are (as at 25th February 2025):
• You must not use AI in your assessment task if your course profile states that it is not allowed.
• You can use AI in an assessment if it is allowed by your course coordinator.
• If AI use is allowed, you must follow the instructions specified in the assessment task.
• If AI use is allowed, you must acknowledge and reference your use.
In this course, AI is allowed and must be acknowledged and you must reference your use according to the course coordinator’s requirements.
The instructions specified in the assessment task are as follows. You might use AI in several ways:
• To generate ideas that you have adapted. This requires general acknowledgement.
• To generate a summary of specific material(s) you identified and used to inform your work. This requires general acknowledgement.
• To support your writing (e.g. grammar, spelling, sentencing, or phrasing) and enhance the clarity of your expression. This requires general acknowledgement.
• To machine translate from one language to another. This requires general acknowledgement.
• To derive and build content (including arguments, structure, examples, facts, or sources) that you include directly in your work with little adaptation. This requires both general acknowledgement. and citation according to the APA 7 rules.
General acknowledgement of the use of AI tools requires a table on the assignment cover page. If the table is too large, reference it on the cover page and direct readers to an appendix with the table. Use the UQ exemplar below as a guide for your table:
If you have not used artificial intelligence in this assessment task, you should then note this on the cover page.
When you have used artificial intelligence to derive and build content you must specifically cite the content according to APA guidance given on their blog (https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt). As a summary:
• In-text quotation: If the work is a direct copy-and-paste – indicate the AI prompt used (in- text or as a footnote) and surround the text with quotation marks with AI source indicated as usual (Author Source, Year).
• In-text citation: If you have adapted specific text from the AI, then indicate the AI prompt used (in-text or as a footnote) and reword as appropriate.
• Reference: Indicate the source in the reference list as you usually would with the tool noted as the author:
References
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model].
https://chat.openai.com/chat
Check the library’s website for more context on these instructions.
Scope
This assessment task is a full and complete Business Consulting Report, formatted professionally and appropriately.
Students shall address this task individually.
This Business Consulting Report is to be written by you as an individual consultant that has been asked to use your understanding of IT governance as well as the systems analytical skills and techniques to provide advice to a client identified in the accompanying Assignment Specification.
The Assignment Specification is provided on Learn.UQ as a supporting document separate to this Guideline. You are to document the results of your analysis as a business consulting report. The business consulting report is addressed to the audience noted in the Assignment Specification but is to be executed to a high standard as this report will be provided to the Board and Chief Executive Officer.
In the Assignment Specification, you are provided with four Guiding Questions. Answering these questions requires that you apply your understanding of IT Governance and IT General Controls to provide IT governance and operational advice, and use the PostgreSQL and Microsoft Excel tools to undertake fraud analysis.
The data files used are provided with the Assignment Specification in the assessment folder – it is a zip file that will need to be unzipped. You are to download these files to your computer and import the data into PostgreSQL.
Format
Your report should be typed (in Times Roman/Arial 10-point font or equivalent, single-spaced) and it should be between 8 and 12 pages in length (excluding Executive Summary, appendices, figure, diagrams, tables, or, where used, references in the reference list). In all ways you should format the report to conform. to the standards of a professional business consulting report.
On the cover/title page note the essay title, your student number, name, the course code and course title, the date, the word count (excluding cover page, Executive Summary, appendices, figures, diagrams, tables, appendices and, where used, references in the reference list) and the reference citation style. where relevant.
You should document the extent and type of use of artificial intelligence tools to support your writing (e.g. grammar, spelling, sentencing, or phrasing) or in deriving content (e.g. arguments, structure, outline) on the cover page.
If artificial intelligence is not used, note this on the cover page.
The length of the main body of the report is specified as being no more than 12 pages in length. You should write a consulting report that, in your professional judgment, best addresses the Guiding Questions whilst also aiming for clarity and conciseness. Too short and there may be insufficient detail. Too long, and you may not have summarised the material sufficiently.
Use appendices well for reference and supporting material.
Figures/diagrams/tables presented in the main body of the report should not exceed one page.
There is no limit on the number of pages of appendices.
However, in this vein, you should think in terms of a highly paid, busy senior executive spending his or her time reading your report. You would want to get your arguments across forcefully, but not waste the person's time. The senior executive would probably not read the appendices, so the body of your report should be able to stand on its own and match to the expectations of a business consulting report. The senior executive's staff anaIysts wouId IikeIy examine your appendices in depth, however, so they must aIso be executed and presented to a high standard.
You may need to use externaI independent sources in support of the arguments you present in the report, or the tests that you discuss. References when used can be cited using APA 6th, APA 7th, or Vancouver styIes (you must note the referencing style. on the title page). Other citation styIes may be aIIowed through permission granted by the Iecturer.
Always remember that the report should conform. to the standards of a professional business consulting report.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Can I use Artificial Intelligence in this report?
In the report description it is noted that artificiaI inteIIigence (AI) provides emerging tooIs that may support students in compIeting this assessment task. Students may appropriateIy use AI in compIeting this assessment task. Students must cIearIy reference any use of AI in each instance.
A faiIure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
You are required to generaIIy acknowIedge the use of artificiaI inteIIigence tooIs and sources, and as appropriate specificaIIy cite artificiaI inteIIigence sources. The use of artificiaI inteIIigence is discussed above.
• Should I use Artificial Intelligence in this report?
BasicaIIy, this is up to you. ArtificiaI inteIIigence tooIs require great skiII to handIe deftIy.
Further, AI tooIs tend to use words that do not sound‘naturaI, to the EngIish speaker 一 they often use overIy compIex words and phrasing formaIities that do not match the tone of the report. You definiteIy shouId reword and rework any materiaI you source from artificiaI inteIIigence as otherwise you need to quote it verbatim (rather than simpIy acknowIedge it as outIined above).
AI tooIs are usefuI in brainstorming activities, improving writing, and summarising muItipIe sources. You shouId be very aware of the need to demonstrate your own anaIysis rather than simpIy‘Ietting AI do the work,.
UItimateIy, the choice to use AI is up to you; however, indiscriminate and unguided use often ends up being ineffective.
• Are independently researched quality academic sources required, and what are they?
No they are not required. You may however choose to cite such sources in support of your answers to guiding questions.
• Can we cite non-academic ‘industry’ sources?
Yes you can, aIthough they are not required. You may however choose to cite such sources in support of your answers to guiding questions, and this might support your evaIuations and recommendations.
• How long does the report need to be?
The specification sheet says that the main body of the report (excluding title page, executive summary, and appendices) should be no more than 12 pages in length in Times Roman/Arial 10-point font or equivalent. You will need to keep in mind the need for a professionally presented report. The main part of the report should be sufficient for the busy executive to understand the core answers addressing the guiding questions. Detailed material and reports (query files, long reports, etc.) should be placed in the appendices.
In writing your report, consider the busy executive who is reading the report, and aim for efficiency and ease of communication rather than for density and exhaustive analysis in the main report. Each student’s response will vary, not least due to the selected format and approach. Although no minimum length is specified, it is likely though that the main report will be somewhere in the range of between 8 to 12 pages in length.
Given the usual rule of thumb of approximately 10% leeway – the report should NOT be more than 14 pages in length.
Appendices and detailed analysis can (and should) be included in appendices to support your overall analysis. You should include some detail in the main body of your report and provide greater detail in the appendices.
• How professional is professional? What does that even mean?
It means that in every way the report is true to what you would expect a professional to provide in a consulting engagement. The internet has several examples available.
Several notes are relevant here:
• Use dot points judiciously. Perhaps open and close your answer to each question with a full paragraph, but focused dot points statements that explicitly address the question are clear and concise in a business report.
• Consider following an exemplar format of a consulting report that you have found as a
guide. If this is done, however, be sure that the report is structured to clearly relate to the guiding questions set out in the Assignment Specification.
• Do not allow your report to become waffly, vague, and wordy. Explicitly identify recommendations made (for example, "It is recommended that [insert recommendation].").
You should structure your report to match the requirements of the case.
• What goes on the cover page again?
On the cover/title page note the essay title, your student number, name, the course code and course title, the date, the word count (excluding Cover Page, Abstract,
Figures/Diagrams/Tables, Appendices and References) and the reference citation style.
You should document the extent and type of use of artificial intelligence tools to support your writing (e.g. grammar, spelling, sentencing, or phrasing) or in deriving content (e.g. arguments, structure, outline) on the cover page.
You should document the extent and type of use of AI tools on the cover page in a table, or include a note to identify that it has not been used or that it appears in the appendices as outlined in the assessment requirements.
Assessment
The criterion-based marking rubric below applies the Criteria and Marking noted above. Part marks are rounded up to the nearest half mark.
Assignment Submission
There will be electronic submission of assignments through TurnItIn in the course website (Learn.UQ) under Assessment. The drop-box will remain open to allow for late submission.
Your document must be submitted in either Microsoft Word document format or PDF format.
You must name your document with your last name followed by your initial(s) (e.g., Smith_A.doc). All students will receive an electronic copy of their marked assignment through Learn.UQ.
When you submit your assignment to the drop−box, this act will certify that you have acknowledged and understand the Plagiarism Statute of the University of Queensland.
Please discuss any problems that may lead to late submission with your lecturer at the earliest possible opportunity. Items (for which no extension has been granted) submitted after the due date and time, incur a late submission penalty. The penalty is at the rate of 10% of the total available marks for that piece of assessment, for each calendar day or part thereof that the item is overdue.